Red Sox closer Bailey eager to return post surgery

BOSTON — Would-be Red Sox closer Andrew Bailey said he is “fairly confident” he will be back by the end of the season after surgery to repair a ligament in his right thumb.

Bailey had surgery on Wednesday to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament and said he expected to return and help out the beleaguered bullpen before the season is out.

“The whole season isn’t lost. There’s a lot of good in that,” Bailey said Friday during a conference call. “It’s still very frustrating to have to start the year like this.”

Bailey was injured while covering first base in a March 21 spring training game against Pittsburgh. He tried to pitch through it, but “it got worse and worse,” he said.

Story continues below advertisement.

Bailey will spend the next 10-14 days in a soft cast before he can begin rehabbing. Meanwhile, the Red Sox are looking for a closer to replace Bailey. He was acquired to replace Jonathan Papelbon, who saved 219 games and posted a 2.33 ERA during seven years in Boston.

Papelbon, who got the last out of their 2007 World Series sweep of Colorado, left as a free agent in the offseason, taking a $50 million, four-year deal from Philadelphia to be its closer.

The Red Sox acquired Bailey in a trade with Oakland over the offseason. But his injury troubles, which put him on the disabled list in each of the previous two seasons, quickly resurfaced. He strained a lat muscle in his entrance physical and missed the early part of spring training before returning to pitch in six games.

The latest injury was bad luck.

“It’s just a freak thing,” he said. “It’s not really a throwing injury. It’s trying to be an athlete and cover first base.”

With Bailey out at least until the All-Star break, the Red Sox are hoping to find a closer from within. Alfredo Aceves and Mark Melancon are possibilities, but the pair of ex-Yankees already failed once.

The Red Sox rallied from a 2-0 deficit to tie the opener against Detroit on Thursday, but the Tigers got back-to-back, one-out singles against Melancon. Aceves hit Ramon Santiago on the foot to load the bases before Austin Jackson singled past a drawn-in infield.

Bailey said the Boston bullpen is strong without him.

“There’s a lot of good arms down there. Those guys are going to have a good year. I’m hoping to join them soon,” he said. “It’ll figure itself out. The bullpen is going to be fine; I know that. They’ll be able to hold it down until I’m able to get back and help them out.”